“Steamboats West: Glory Days on the Big Muddy” examines how the introduction of steamboats on the Missouri River spurred settlement. Also: the steamboat's role in the aftermath of the Battle of the Little Bighorn in 1876.

The rise of Chicago, "The Gateway to the West." Included is a look at how the city recovered from the fire of 1871. Also: the labor struggles that led to a wave of strikes, including the Haymarket Riot of 1886; and a segment on the Columbian Exposition.

An examination of how journalists chronicled---and sensationalized---the Old West focuses on coverage of Indian wars. Also: dime novels that embellished the exploits of Belle Starr, Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane (Martha Jane Canary).